Obesity, especially central obesity, is a hereditable trait associated with a high risk for development of diabetes and metabolic disorders. Combined gene expression analysis of adipocyte-and preadipocyte-containing fractions from intraabdominal and subcutaneous adipose tissue of mice revealed coordinated depotspecific differences in expression of multiple genes involved in embryonic development and pattern specification. These differences were intrinsic and persisted during in vitro culture and differentiation. Similar depot-specific differences in expression of developmental genes were observed in human subcutaneous versus visceral adipose tissue. Furthermore, in humans, several genes exhibited changes in expression that correlated closely with body mass index and͞or waist͞hip ratio. Together, these data suggest that genetically programmed developmental differences in adipocytes and their precursors in different regions of the body play an important role in obesity, body fat distribution, and potential functional differences between internal and subcutaneous adipose tissue.adipose tissue ͉ gene expression ͉ subcutaneous ͉ intraabdominal

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Near-infrared spectroscopy monitoring provides a practical method to follow trends in superficial cerebral cortex oxygenation during and after cardiovascular surgery. Determination of the limits of cerebral pressure–flow autoregulation is now possible using processed oximetry signals in relation to arterial pressure.

In this review, the authors argue that hypotension is an individual definition not accurately determined based on population data. Monitoring cerebral blood flow autoregulation provides a clinically feasible approach for judging the acceptable intraoperative and intensive care unit blood pressure.